1 What was the first roleplaying game other than D&D you played? Was it before or after you had played D&D?

I'd been playing D&D by myself when a friend introduced me to a neighbourhood Gamma World campaign.

2 What was the first character you played in an RPG other than D&D? How was playing it different from playing a D&D character?

My Gamma World character in that game was an Octo-Wolf. Someone else had a human/bear cross, and maybe a super-possum. We got our asses handed to us by a sentient apple tree that threw grenades-apples. It was that kind of campaign.

3 Which game had the least or most enjoyable character generation?

Talislanta comes with hundreds of Archetypes to chose from. You make a couple of quick changes and voila ... instant Awesome!

RIFTS however, forever turned me off any character generation that makes you flip through pages and pages and pages of skills, feats or abilities.

4 What other roleplaying author besides Gygax impressed you with their writing?

I really enjoy the Gord books, but its I know that it is more from nostalgia than quality. Steven Michael Sechi's Talislanta however, introduced me to a whole new kind of fantasy writing. Blew my mind at the time and it then it lead me directly to Jack Vance.

5 What other old school game should have become as big as D&D but didn’t? Why do you think so?

I have no idea!

6 What non-D&D monster do you think is as iconic as D&D ones like hook horrors or flumphs, and why do you think so?

Talislanta`s Exomorph…. basically chameleon tigers.

7 What fantasy RPG other than D&D have you enjoyed most? Why?

8 What spy RPG have you enjoyed most? Give details.

Not really my genre, but I`d play this!

9 What superhero RPG have you enjoyed most? Why?

I've never played a super campaign and I consider this the biggest gap in my gaming experience.

10 What science fiction RPG have you enjoyed most? Give details.

A failed jedi and his unwanted apprentice, a wookie tramp freighter captain, an ex-imperal cadet, and a wookie pilot; they started a pirates, became reluctant rebels and ended up heroes. Most epic and long running game I've ever been a part of. It was awesome.

11 What post-apocalyptic RPG have you enjoyed most? Why?

The rules are a steaming hot mess, but we had a lot of fun with the world. Nothing like a little gonzo to spice up a game.

12 What humorous RPG have you enjoyed most? Give details.

The characters try to steal babies and are expected to die … a lot. What is not to love?

13 What horror RPG have you enjoyed most? Why?

I've always wanted to play All Flesh Must be Eaten, I like that you can plug the zombies into almost any setting.

14 What historical or cultural RPG have you enjoyed most? Give details.

The must have resources for any Japanese-flavoured game.

15 What pseudo or alternate history RPG have you enjoyed most? Why?

I love the card based rule-set.

16 Which RPG besides D&D has the best magic system? Give details.

Describe what happens and it works … or not. Its not great, rules wise, but it makes running and playing the game a breeze.

17 Which RPG has the best high tech rules? Why?

It is more of a tactical-board-game, but I always wanted to run a campaign set in this universe.

18 What is the crunchiest RPG you have played? Was it enjoyable?

Tried this once. Much like Renegade, I love to read through the manuals, but I don't seem to have the mind capable of handling all that crunch.

19 What is the fluffiest RPG you have played? Was it enjoyable?

The original edition was actually a lot of fun. I have to admit that I went through a brief Anime phase, I'm not really ashamed of that. Really.

20 Which setting have you enjoyed most? Why?

Intellectually and personally, Talislanta. For role playing in its truest form, Star Wars. And for gonzo fun, RIFTS.

21 What is the narrowest genre RPG you have ever played? How was it?

Never played it, but if I ever do; dibs on Short Round!

22 What is the most gonzo kitchen sink RPG you ever played? How was it?

We played RIFTS for a long time .. but in our Amber game, we teamed up with a woman named `Luci` in her rebellion against someone called `Omega` ... it got pretty nuts.

23 What is the most broken game that you tried and were unable to play?

I want to play this so bad. Have never been able to get a game to catch. No idea why.

24 What is the most broken game that you tried and loved to play, warts and all?

We played for a long time before the rules just got too unwieldy. A buddy and I actually came up with conversion tables to play it in WEG D6. That worked for a while, but somehow it just wasn't the same.

I hate to admit that I wasn't the biggest Jack Kirby fan as a kid. I thought the art was too blocky and too stiff.

But having learned a little more about art, comics, myth and things in general he is fast becoming my favourite creator of all time. The man simply understood the medium of comic books in a way that very few ever have.

A few weeks ago, stumbled across a collection which outlined much of his work at DC in the late sixties/early seventies. The man was a machine, writing and drawing six or so books a month, creating his entire Fourth World mythos of New Genesis vs Apokolips and most notably Darkseid during that time. The entire collection is a work of psychedelic genius, but the story that completely popped my noodle was Jimmy Olsen issue#142

I'm not even sure where to begin here ... Jimmy Olsen and Superman are on the trail of a vampire, which also leads to a werewolf. The two track the monsters back to a secret lab, but instead of Frankenstein castle, they discover a miniature planet floating in the basement!

The planet also happens to be surrounded with movie-projectors which have been beaming Classic Hammer Horror films into the mini-planet's atmosphere. Now time is relative and what might be a ninety minute horror fest for us, influenced the entire planet's evolution resulting in the monsters that now live there.

Once they learn that the people aren't really monsters, they don't want to destroy the planet, so Superman and Jimmy then decide to save the little planetoid ... by switching the projected movies to Oklahoma!

Your Friend and Future Leader

After leaving gaming, our Hero became a samurai-for-hire in the mean streets of Saskatoon. He then moved to Montreal where he battled the forces of the Khmer Rouge, the Legion of Supervillians and Mary Kay. During this time, be became closely involved with the Free Winona movement and was arrested for staging a guerrilla screening of 'How to Make an American Quilt.'

Escaping custody, he disappeared for a few years into the underground streetfighting scene utilizing his purple-nurple skills to deadly effect. When he resurfaced, she had taken the alias Kelly Elizabeth Finklestien, and appeared as an extra on both Miama Vice, ALF and Punky Brewster.

After fronting "Sled-Dog Afterbirth", a yoddeling-grunge band out of Yellowknife, he travelled to Newfoundland where he single-highhandedly wiped out the last of the cod stock. There are unconfirmed reports that he spent some time in northern Manitoba, possibly working for the clandestine Department Zed as the vigilante-by-night known as “The Stoat“.

Nowadays, he is semi-retired and living in Halifax where, when not desperately reading the rule-book the night before a game, he raises Venezuelan hairless llamas and is currently learning to play the thereminvox.